Follower for paper-filing devices.



No. 879,843. PATENTED FEB. 1a, 1908.

A. T. WEISS. FOLLOWBR FOR PAPER FILING DEVIGES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20.1907- Witnesses UNITED STATES PATENT ALBERT T. WEISS, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO YAWMAN & ERBE MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, OF ROGHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

FOLLOWER FOR PAPER-FILING DEVICES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18,1908.

Application filed June 20. 1907- Serial No. 379.881.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT T. VVEIss, of

Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Followers for Paper-Filing Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description of the same, reference 'bemg had to the accompanymg drawings,

forming a part of the specification, and to the reference numerals marked thereon.

My present invention relates to followers such as are employed in connection with paper filing devices, usually within a receptacle, where they operate in adjustable relation to varying quantities of papers or similar articles filed therein with the object of preserving the latter in compact and orderly arrangement, particularly when insufficient in number to occupy the entire space between the front and rear walls of the receptacle, and it has for its object to provide a device of this nature which may be easily and quickly operated from one position of adjustment to another and which will then automatically lock itself in a manner to effectually resist further movement except at the will of the operator.

Further objects of my invention are to 'materially reduce the w eight of the follower and render possible a practical construction thereof in all its parts from a singlepiece of material.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of a filing receptacle or support and a follower mounted to operate therein and embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the receptacle showing the follower in front eleva the sides thereof.

eral nature such as adjustable book supports, for instance, without departing from the spirit of my invention, I have illustrated them as embodied in afiling receptacleindicated generally by the reference numeral 1 and comprising front and back walls 2 and 3 respectively and a bottom support 4. Arranged in the bottom and preferably centrally and longitudinally thereof is a way or guide which I prefer to form of a strip 5 having its edges turned inwardly, forming opposite parallel flanges 6, the whole constituting a track arranged below the surface of the bottom within-a groove or channel 7 The follower 8 may be conveniently shaped from a blank, such as that shown in Fig. 4, a strip of suitable sheet material, such as steel, being bent as indicated in dotted lines in said figure and formed into a loop with resilient depending arms 9 arranged laterally upon either side of the trackan'd extending trans versely thereto substantially parallel with the bottom throughout a portion of their length. The oppositely arranged ends are provided with flanges 10 which engage beneath the flanges 6 of the track and normally press laterally in opposite directions against This clamping pressure, assisted by a binding action which occurs when the confined articles tilt against the top of the follower by reason of the flanges of the arms being confined between the flanges of the track and the bottom of the latter, automatically retains the follower in any position of adjustment to which it is moved, the operator effecting its release and that of the papers within the receptacle simply by pressing the arms together and sliding it along the support, as will be readily understood.

The plane of the front edges or face of the follower is preferably inclined somewhat as clearly shown in Fig. 1 to intensify the binding action. and also to permit a plurality of papers, included between the follower and the opposite abutting member (in the present instance the drawer front 2) to be separated at their upper ends for inspection, while yet held reasonably close together.

To prevent the resilient arms 9 from relative movement in a lateral direction out of alinement, that is, in a direction other than toward and from each other, one is provided with a projecting tongue 11, preferably punched up from the blank and cooperating with a corresponding opening 12 in the other.

The parts are so proportioned that the ends of the arms when pressed toward each other will engage before the flanges thereon can become disengaged from the corresponding cooperating partson the track or guide, thus preventing an inadvertent removal of the follower from its support.

A device constructed in accordance with my invention will be found efiicient and to possess the advantages of simplicity of construction and a material reduction in weight. The looped portion projecting any desired distance on either side of the track or guide offers a broad bearing surface, yet by reason of the fact that the strain upon the material of which it is constructed, is in the direction of its width, the thickness. of the follower as a Whole need not be great and it will consequently occupy little room.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a support provided with a track or guide, of a follower movable relatively to the support and engaging the track upon one side and a resilient arm on the follower extending laterally of the track and engaging the latter upon the opposite side.

2; The combination with a support pro vided with a track or guide, of a follower movable relatively to the support and resilient arms on the follower engaging the track upon opposite sides and extending laterally thereof in both directions.

3. The combination with a support provided with a track or guide, of a follower movable relatively to the support and comprising a strip of resilient material formed into a loop extending laterally from the track in both directions and engaging upon opposite sides of the latter.

4. The combination with a support and a track or guide thereon having parallel edges, of a follower movable relatively to the support and comprising a strip of resilient material formed into a loop extending laterally of the track in both directions and having flanges upon its ends engaging over the edges of the latter.

5. The combination with a support provided with a track or guide having parallel edges, of a follower movable relatively to the support having resilient arms provided with flanges engaging over the edges of the track and means for preventing the disen-v the opposite edges of the track and means for preventing relative lateral movement of the arms.

8. The combination with a support provided with a track or guide having parallel edges, of a follower movable relatively to the support having oppositely disposed resilient arms, engaging the edges of the track, one of said arms being provided with an opening and the other with a tongue projecting within said opening to prevent their relative lateral movement.

9. The combination with a support provided with a track or guide, of a follower having a sliding engagement with the track and comprising a loop of flat material bent in the direction of its thickness to extend laterally upon both sides of the track.

10. The combination with a support pro vided with a track or guide, of a follower comprising a loop of flat material bent in the direction of its thickness to extend laterally upon both sides of the track and having flanges at its ends arranged in sliding engagement with the latter.

1.1.. The combination with a support provided with a track or guide comprising a strip of flat material having its edges turned inwardly forming opposite, parallel flanges, of a follower movable relatively to the support comprising a strip of resilient material formed into a loop extending laterally of the track in both directions and having flanges upon its ends engaging over the flanges of the track, one of saidv ends being provided with a projection extending within an opening in the other to form a centering device.

ALBERT T. WEISS. Witnesses:

RUssELL B. GRIFFITH, C. KETCI-IUM. 

